Tips For Cleaning Appliances
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Here are tips and tricks for cleaning appliances of all types and varieties, both inside and out.

Below I've got tips and how to articles for the major types of appliances you find in a home, both large and small, but there are also some general tips that are helpful for cleaning just about any type of appliance.

1. Always consult the owner's manual before cleaning your appliance.

Each brand and type of appliances is just a little (or a lot) different, and often there are specific instructions for how to clean something for that particular model recommended by the manufacturer. Cleaning in a different way than reccommended may not work as well, or even harm the appliance.

In addition, sometimes cleaning in a way not recommended can even void the warranty. So if all else fails, read the instruction manual. :)

2. Always unplug appliances before you begin to clean them.

You never know what you might knock or bump while cleaning these items, so it is important to keep safety in mind. Therefore, always unplug appliances before you begin to clean them in any manner so you don't accidentally turn it on while trying to clean it up.

In addition let the appliances cool completely before you begin to clean them.

3. Do not immerse any parts of the appliance in water unless it specifically indicates you can.

Many parts of an appliance, such as the motor or other electrical parts, are not designed to get wet. Therefore, when cleaning them do not immerse most appliances in water. Sometimes, obviously, there are detachable parts of the appliance which you can hand wash, or others that you can even put in the dishwasher. Only do that though if the appliance manual (see instructions number one above) says this is safe to do.

In addition though, make sure you are careful when wiping appliance surfaces not to get them too wet, since drips into these parts that are not supposed to be immersed could also damage them. When using a spray cleaner, for example, make sure to not spray the appliance itself, but to spray the rag for example that you'll wipe it down with, to be safe.

4. General cleaning instructions for most appliance surfaces.

When cleaning the hard surfaces of your appliance that have gotten dusty or dirty from use one of the simplest cleaners is to wipe down the surface with a cleaning cloth dampened with water and dish soap, and then dry with second clean cloth.

If you need a bit more abrasive cleaner, look if there are food particle splatters and spills on the appliance, I suggest cleaning with baking soda. You can use a dampened cloth and then dip it in a small amount of baking soda to form a thick paste and rub that onto the appliance. Then rub away any excess baking soda with a second damp cloth and then dry thoroughly. Baking soda is simply amazing for cleaning most of these types of items.

Sometimes the places you need to clean your appliances are small, or hard to get to with a cloth. In this instance an old toothbrush can get into small spaces easily, so give that a try.

5. Don't forget to clean under appliances.

You may not need to do it every time, but periodically, perhaps during spring cleaning each year, you may want to clean not just the appliance itself, but also underneath it. (You can check out even more perhaps forgotten places to clean around your house here.)

This allows you to clean up dust, dirt and random stuff that may have gotten under the appliance with time.

Be careful when moving large appliances, since they're heavy. In addition, make sure you've properly and safely unhooked appliances before moving them, not just the electrical cord, but also any other ways the appliance is attached, such as water lines, gas lines, dryer vents, etc.

Tips For Specific Appliances:

Do you spend a lot of time cleaning your home and possessions? If so, you can use some good tips to help you get these chores done, so you can have some fun! Here are tips I've collected from readers like you, and from around the web to help you with these tasks.

There are, of course, lots of different types of appliances in your home, from those small ones in your kitchen to the much bigger ones throughout your house. I've tried to include as many of them here as possible so you can find what you're looking for.

Here are the tips submitted so far:

Share Your Tips Here

Blender

Coffee Maker

Crockpot {Loosen Dried Food}

Dishwasher

Dryer

Electric Tea Kettle {Descale Hard Water Build Up}

Garbage Disposal {Including Odor Removal}

Grill

Microwave

Oven

Refrigerator

Spice Grinder

Stove

Washing Machine

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Electric powered items in your home often get dirty, both on the inside and the outside.

When these products get dirty it can be hard to figure out how to clean them, without causing them damage since you often cannot immerse them in water (or at least not the electrical parts).

Further, certain cleaning products are safe for use on them, while others are not.

But there is such a wide variety of appliances that it isn't often easy to generalize on how they should be washed or freshened. Instead, it depends what the product is.

Therefore, if you've got a tip to share for how to clean one of these products, make sure to tell me not only how you do it, but exactly what type of products you're telling me how to clean. I'm especially interested in tips for kitchen appliances, as well as those used in the bathroom such as hair products, etc.

Related Pages You May Enjoy

House Cleaning Tips & Tricks For Busy Moms

Tips For Speed Cleaning Your Kitchen

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CAUTION: This website is provided for informational purposes only. It is provided as is, without warranties or guarantees. Some stains and messes just won't come out, and are permanent. Further, some cleaning methods can harm your item, so if what you want to clean or launder is sentimental or expensive call a professional. See disclaimer of liability for more information.